Bio

2017 Bio / Mary Z Cox

2017 BIO / MARY Z

This year and last have been fine picking years for two time Florida & North Carolina Banjo champion Mary Z Cox--getting a chance to meet and play with so many talented banjoists and fiddlers and having a chance to record with many of them in recordings or videos.

Good Morning Banjo is what happened when Mary Z Cox & Champion North Carolina fiddler ,Tim Gardner, got together in October in the Carolina mountains and recorded Mary Z's 10th recording, "Good Morning Banjo" ! And there's a new "Good Morning Banjo Tab" for 2017 too. And there’s the extra tasty treat of mountain dulcimer, cello banjo & Mary Z even belts out three of her favorite traditional songs.

Mary Z is also a Florida mountain dulcimer champion, as well as a four-time champion at the Transylvania (NC) Old Time Music Competition, and first place winner at the Uncle Dave Macon Days in Tennessee.

She has taught mountain dulcimer workshops at the Lagniappe dulcimer Fete, Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat, Fall NGFDA Festival at Unicoi, Florida Folk Festival, the Will McLean Festival and in Charlotte, NC, Denver, NC & Charleston SC. Her dulcimer articles, tabs, & mp3s have been published in the Dulcimer Player News.

“Easy String Band Method For the Mountain Dulcimer” (instructional book/cd) sells to dulcimer students worldwide and is available on Mary Z’s website: maryzcox.com

Many folks know Mary Z for her “Good Morning Banjo” videos on FaceBook & Youtube where she posts impromtu banjo & dulcimer videos from unexpected places in the United States and around the globe. (Abby Road, Shanghai Ferry, Mongolian Dining Car on the TransSiberian Railway, Chicago, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Western North Carolina, Florida, New York, French Broad River, Suwannee River, Florida Folk Festival & there is going to be many more coming this summer in Western locations and Montana.

Mary Z. Cox, is a third generation Floridian originally from Brevard County where her paternal grandparents were early settlers of the Indian River Colony. Her maternal granddad, a professional banjoist from St. Joe Missouri, inspired her early interest in the banjo.

Her video interview in Smithsonian Folkways’ “Conversations With Old Time Performers”/ volume II (2015) is the only interview in the series featuring Old Florida music culture and photos as well as many of Mary Z’s unique banjos.

Craig Evans, videographer and interviewer for the DVD series, says she was included in this historical project because of her prolific recordings and instruction books & energetic hands on instruction, which have helped thousands of folks around the world, become better banjoists and musicians.

Mary Z also brought North American claw hammer banjo tunes (2015) in mini cultural concerts to the Osaka ferry terminal, Shanghai ferry, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Mongolian Dining Car on the Tran Siberian Railway, the club car coming into Vancouver, BC, in Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, on the corner of Abby Road in London & on deck on the Queen Mary II in the harbor with the Statue of Liberty.

Her music has been played on National Public Radio’s, “Thistle & Shamrock”, “All Songs Considered,” Pandora World Music Genome, & the BBC.

Tunes from “Girl With the Banjo Tattoo”, “A Secret Life Of Banjo”, & “Vintage Banjo” were selected to soundtrack a Canadian documentary on immigration.

Tunes from “Florida Banjo” will be in an upcoming soundtrack on a film about Florida Cowboys.

Mary Z’s version of the traditional song, “Sally In the Garden” appears in the soundtrack of a film on the Canadian Gold Rush.

For 2017, Mary Z. Cox CD’s are being loaded digitally on the Bandcamp.com site and will continue to be uploaded for new tech digital flexibility. The Bandcamp site offers high quality digital formats & a streaming app that works great with Bluetooth, as well as traditional MP3s.

Mary Z has taught clawhammer banjo for over a decade at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina as well banjo workshops at the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, NC, Florida Folk Festival, Banjo Fun Days in PA, Wood N” Strings in Tenn., the Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete, Suwannee Banjo Camp, Sunshine State Music Camp, Will McLean Festival, Florida Old Time Banjo Camp, and in Charlotte, NC, Brevard, NC, Charleston, SC, Albuquerque, NM, & Pasadena, CA.

Mary Z Cox

Two Time Florida Banjo Champion-- 2013 & 2014 Old Time Banjo Champion in Brevard, NC, Mary Z. Cox, is a third generation Floridian, has played banjo since she was 12, and a recording artist since 1999. She records cds, plays concerts & festivals, gives workshops, and authors banjo & dulcimer instruction books. Her music has been played on National Public Radio’s, “Thistle & Shamrock”, “All Songs Considered,” Pandora World Music Genome, & the BBC.

Cherry River Line, Sally Ann, St. James Infirmary, Wish I Was A Mole In the Ground, Spooky, Ochlocknee River Blues, Fisher’s Hornpipe/Chinkapin Hunting, You Don’t See It, Cat’s Got the Measles & the Dog’s Got the Whooping Cough, Blue Skies, Cold Rain & Snow, All I Have To Do Is Dream & Cold Frosty Morning. By the time you read this, Blue Sky Banjo Tab book will be finished too & both the cd & tab book will be available on her website:

www.maryzcox.com

Tunes from “Girl With the Banjo Tattoo”, “A Secret Life Of Banjo”, & “Vintage Banjo” were selected to soundtrack an upcoming Canadian documentary on immigration.

Tunes from “Florida Banjo” will be in an upcoming soundtrack on a film about Florida Cowboys. Mary Z’s version of the traditional song, “Sally In the Garden” will be in the soundtrack of an upcoming film in the Hunger Games series.

Girl With the Banjo Tattoo, her second most recent cd was selected as a “Best Banjo CD of 2011” by the editor of Banjo Newsletter. Mary has 9 cds and 9 instructional books in print and she is grateful and humbled that so many folks from all over the world order and download them and write to say how much they enjoy the music and the instruction.

Mary Z has taught claw hammer banjo for over a decade at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina.

Mary Z is also a Florida mountain dulcimer champion, as well as a four-time champion (2011, 2009, 2007, & 2006) at the Transylvania (NC) Old Time Music Competition, and first place winner at the 2006 Uncle Dave Macon Days in Tennessee.

In May, 2015, she’ll be leading a mountain dulcimer jam at the Florida Folk Festival in White Springs, Florida.

Her dulcimer articles, tabs, & mp3s have been published in the Dulcimer Player News. “Easy String Band Method For the Mountain Dulcimer” (instructional book/cd) sells to dulcimer students worldwide and is available on Mary’s website:

maryzcox.com

Mary Z enjoys playing solo concerts, demonstrations, and workshops to small and large audiences & has a banjo/bass vocal duet available for concerts and festivals. Please contact Mary Z if you would like to book me for concerts, festivals, or workshops in 2015—we just might be traveling your way.

Mary shares her home with 16 banjos, 3 guitars, 2 ukuleles, and 8 mountain dulcimers and loves playing them. Her motto is:

“If you suspect you need a new banjo or any fine acoustic instrument at all—you do. Trust your musical instincts. If an instrument calls to you to buy it, don’t fight destiny. It was meant to be.”

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Banjoholic, Mary Z. Cox, third generation Floridian, has played banjo since she was 12, and is a two time Florida banjo champion. Mary Z has been a recording artist since 1999, and records cds, plays concerts & festivals, gives workshops, and authors banjo & dulcimer instruction books. Her music has been played on National Public Radio’s, “Thistle & Shamrock”, “All Songs Considered,” Pandora World Music Genome, & the BBC.

Mary Z is recording a new banjo cd with vocals in Gatorbone Studios in Keystone Heights, Florida and she hopes to have it ready to rock & roll early in the new year—but wait—it won’t be rock n roll—but some wonderful traditional tunes , and of course—there will be banjos ☺

Mary’s version of the traditional song, “Sally In the Garden” will be in the soundtrack of an upcoming film in the Hunger Games series.

Tunes from “Girl With the Banjo Tattoo”, “A Secret Life Of Banjo”, & “Vintage Banjo” were selected to soundtrack an upcoming Canadian documentary on immigration.

Tunes from “Florida Banjo” will be in an upcoming soundtrack on a film about Florida Cowboys.

Girl With the Banjo Tattoo, her most recent cd was selected as a “Best Banjo CD of 2011” by the editor of Banjo Newsletter. Mary has 7 cds and 7 instructional books in print and she is grateful and humbled that so many folks from all over the world order and download them and write to say how much they enjoy the music and the instruction.

Mary Z has taught clawhammer banjo for over a decade at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina.

Mary Z is also a Florida mountain dulcimer champion, as well as a four-time champion (2011, 2009, 2007, & 2006) at the Transylvania (NC) Old Time Music Competition, and first place winner at the 2006 Uncle Dave Macon Days in Tennessee.

She has taught mountain dulcimer workshops at the Wood n Strings in Tenn, Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete, Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat, Fall NGFDA Festival at Unicoi, Florida Folk Festival, the Will McLean Festival and in Charlotte, NC & Charleston SC. Her dulcimer articles, tabs, & mp3s have been published in the Dulcimer Player News. “Easy String Band Method For the Mountain Dulcimer” (instructional book/cd) sells to dulcimer students worldwide and is available on Mary’s website: maryzcox.com

Mary Z enjoys playing solo concerts, demonstrations, and workshops to small and large audiences & has a banjo/bass vocal duet or acoustic trio available for concerts and festivals. Please contact Mary Z if you would like to book us for concerts, festivals, or workshops in 2015—we just might be traveling your way.

Mary shares her home with 16 banjos and 8 mountain dulcimers and loves playing them. Her motto is:

“If you suspect you need a new banjo or dulcimer—you do. Trust your musical instincts. If an instrument calls to you to buy it, don’t fight destiny. It was meant to be ☺”

Banjoholic, Mary Z. Cox, third generation Floridian, has played banjo since she was 12, and is a two time Florida banjo champion. Mary Z has been a recording artist since 1999, and records cds, plays concerts & festivals, gives workshops, and authors banjo & dulcimer instruction books. Her music has been played on National Public Radio’s, “Thistle & Shamrock”, “All Songs Considered,” Pandora World Music Genome, & the BBC.

Mary Z is recording a new banjo cd with vocals in Gatorbone Studios in Keystone Heights, Florida and she hopes to have it ready to rock & roll early in the new year—but wait—it won’t be rock n roll—but some wonderful traditional tunes , and of course—there will be banjos ☺

Mary’s version of the traditional song, “Sally In the Garden” will be in the soundtrack of an upcoming film in the Hunger Games series.

Tunes from “Girl With the Banjo Tattoo”, “A Secret Life Of Banjo”, & “Vintage Banjo” were selected to soundtrack an upcoming Canadian documentary on immigration.

Tunes from “Florida Banjo” will be in an upcoming soundtrack on a film about Florida Cowboys.

Girl With the Banjo Tattoo, her most recent cd was selected as a “Best Banjo CD of 2011” by the editor of Banjo Newsletter. Mary has 7 cds and 7 instructional books in print and she is grateful and humbled that so many folks from all over the world order and download them and write to say how much they enjoy the music and the instruction.

Mary Z has taught clawhammer banjo for over a decade at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina.She has also taught banjo workshops at the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, NC, Florida Folk Festival, Wood N” Strings in Tenn, the Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete, Suwannee Banjo Camp, Sunshine State Music Camp, Will McLean Festival, Florida Old Time Banjo Camp, and in Charlotte, NC, Charleston, SC, Albuquerque, NM, & Pasadena, CA.

Mary Z is also a Florida mountain dulcimer champion, as well as a four-time champion (2011, 2009, 2007, & 2006) at the Transylvania (NC) Old Time Music Competition, and first place winner at the 2006 Uncle Dave Macon Days in Tennessee.

She has taught mountain dulcimer workshops at the Wood n Strings in Tenn, Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete, Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat, Fall NGFDA Festival at Unicoi, Florida Folk Festival, the Will McLean Festival and in Charlotte, NC & Charleston SC. Her dulcimer articles, tabs, & mp3s have been published in the Dulcimer Player News.

“Easy String Band Method For the Mountain Dulcimer” (instructional book/cd) sells to dulcimer students worldwide and is available on Mary’s website: maryzcox.com

Mary Z enjoys playing solo concerts, demonstrations, and workshops to small and large audiences & has a banjo/bass vocal duet or acoustic trio available for concerts and festivals. Please contact Mary Z if you would like to book us for concerts, festivals, or workshops in 2015—we just might be traveling your way.

Mary shares her home with 16 banjos , 2 guitars, 3 ukuleles & 8 mountain dulcimers and loves playing them. Her motto is: “If you suspect you need a new banjo or dulcimer—you do. Trust your musical instincts. If an instrument calls to you to buy it, don’t fight destiny. It was meant to be ☺”

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Mary Z Cox /Short bio for 2014

First place winner in the 2013 old time banjo contest in Brevard, North Carolina (outdoors-- in 35 degree weather), and two time Florida old time banjo champion, Mary Z. Cox, is a third generation Floridian and was born and raised on the Indian River in Brevard County where her family settled in the 19th century. She’s played banjo since the age of 12, and was chosen by Banjo Newsletter readers as their fourth favorite banjoist in the world.

Mary teaches clawhammer banjo and performs regularly at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina and 2014 will be her twelfth year there as a teacher and concert artist. She loves teaching banjo and dulcimer workshops, camps, festivals and performances throughout the country.

Mary Z is also a Florida mountain dulcimer champion and multiple first place winner at the old time music contest in Brevard, North Carolina and a first place champion at the Uncle Dave Macon festival in Tennessee.

She has recorded 7 cds and written 6 banjo tab books and a mountain dulcimer tab book/cd. Her music is played on Pandora radio, iTunes, NPR, BBC, NPR’s Thistle & Shamrock and a variety of stations worldwide. Her latest cd, Girl With the Banjo Tattoo, received positive and enthusiastic reviews from Banjo Newsletter and Sing Out Magazine.

Bob & Mary Z. Cox have hosted the February Cracker Coffee House at the Stephen Foster Park for the last eight years as well as performing concerts, festivals, and workshops from coast to coast. They have filled Dabney Hall at Cal Tech (Pasadena) twice, and have performed in Albuquerque, Charlotte, Ocracoke, Brasstown, Cashiers (North Carolina), Port Allen, Louisiana, & Unicoi Lodge in Georgia.

They’ve performed many years at the Florida Folk Festival as traditional Florida performers and as headliners. They enjoy bringing traditional songs and tunes on banjos, guitars, and dulcimers from Tallahassee to audiences everywhere.

Mary's solo version of "Sally In the Garden" has been chosen to appear in the soundtrack of an upcoming Hunger Games movie, as well as Canadian documentaries on the Canadian Gold Rush and Canadian immigration.

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Bio for 2012 & 2013

Banjoholic, Mary Z. Cox, third generation Floridian, has played banjo since she was 12, and is a two time Florida banjo champion. Mary Z has been a recording artist since 1999, and records cds, plays concerts & festivals, gives workshops, and authors banjo & dulcimer instruction books. Her music has been played on National Public Radio’s, “Thistle & Shamrock”, “All Songs Considered,” Pandora World Music Genome, & the BBC. Mary’s version of the traditional song, “Sally In the Garden” will be in the soundtrack of an upcoming film in the Hunger Games series.

Girl With the Banjo Tattoo, her most recent cd was selected as a “Best Banjo CD of 2011” by the editor of Banjo Newsletter. Mary has 7 cds and 7 instructional books in print and she is grateful and humbled that so many folks from all over the world order and download them and write to say how much they enjoy the music and the instruction.

Mary will be teaching a week long claw hammer banjo camp beginning February 9, 2014 at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina, where she has been an instructor for over a decade.

She has also taught banjo workshops at the Florida Folk Festival, the Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete, Suwannee Banjo Camp, Sunshine State Music Camp, Will McLean Festival, Florida Old Time Banjo Camp, and in Charlotte, NC, Charleston, SC, Albuquerque, NM, & Pasadena, CA.

Mary is also a Florida mountain dulcimer champion, as well as a four-time champion (2011, 2009, 2007, & 2006) at the Transylvania (NC) Old Time Music Competition, and first place winner at the 2006 Uncle Dave Macon Days in Tennessee.

She has taught mountain dulcimer workshops at the Lagniappe dulcimer Fete, Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat, Fall NGFDA Festival at Unicoi, Florida Folk Festival, the Will McLean Festival and in Charlotte, NC & Charleston SC. Her dulcimer articles, tabs, & mp3s have been published in the Dulcimer Player News. “Easy String Band Method For the Mountain Dulcimer” (instructional book/cd) sells to dulcimer students worldwide and is available on Mary’s website: maryzcox.com

Bob Cox (Mary’s husband and a mighty fine guitarist) has entertained audiences and friends from coast to coast. Please contact us if you would like to book us for concerts, festivals, or workshops in 2013 or 2014—we just might be traveling your way.

Mary shares her home with 16 banjos and 13 mountain dulcimers and loves playing them. Her motto is:

“If you suspect you need a new banjo or dulcimer—you do. Trust your musical instincts. If an instrument calls to you to buy it, don’t fight destiny. It was meant to be :)"

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Banjoholic, Mary Z. Cox, third generation Floridian, has played banjo since she was 12, and is a two time Florida banjo champion. Mary Z has been a recording artist since 1999, and records cds, plays concerts & festivals, gives workshops, and authors banjo & dulcimer instruction books. Her music has been played on National Public Radio’s, “Thistle & Shamrock”, “All Songs Considered,” Pandora World Music Genome, & the BBC.

Mary Z is recording a new banjo cd with vocals in Gatorbone Studios in Keystone Heights, Florida and she hopes to have it ready to rock & roll early in the new year—but wait—it won’t be rock n roll—but some wonderful traditional tunes , and of course—there will be banjos ☺

Mary’s version of the traditional song, “Sally In the Garden” will be in the soundtrack of an upcoming film in the Hunger Games series.

Tunes from “Girl With the Banjo Tattoo”, “A Secret Life Of Banjo”, & “Vintage Banjo” were selected to soundtrack an upcoming Canadian documentary on immigration.

Tunes from “Florida Banjo” will be in an upcoming soundtrack on a film about Florida Cowboys.

Girl With the Banjo Tattoo, her most recent cd was selected as a “Best Banjo CD of 2011” by the editor of Banjo Newsletter. Mary has 7 cds and 7 instructional books in print and she is grateful and humbled that so many folks from all over the world order and download them and write to say how much they enjoy the music and the instruction.

Mary Z has taught clawhammer banjo for over a decade at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina.

Mary Z is also a Florida mountain dulcimer champion, as well as a four-time champion (2011, 2009, 2007, & 2006) at the Transylvania (NC) Old Time Music Competition, and first place winner at the 2006 Uncle Dave Macon Days in Tennessee.

She has taught mountain dulcimer workshops at the Wood n Strings in Tenn, Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete, Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat, Fall NGFDA Festival at Unicoi, Florida Folk Festival, the Will McLean Festival and in Charlotte, NC & Charleston SC. Her dulcimer articles, tabs, & mp3s have been published in the Dulcimer Player News. “Easy String Band Method For the Mountain Dulcimer” (instructional book/cd) sells to dulcimer students worldwide and is available on Mary’s website: maryzcox.com

Mary Z enjoys playing solo concerts, demonstrations, and workshops to small and large audiences & has a banjo/bass vocal duet or acoustic trio available for concerts and festivals. Please contact Mary Z if you would like to book us for concerts, festivals, or workshops in 2015—we just might be traveling your way.

Mary shares her home with 16 banjos and 8 mountain dulcimers and loves playing them. Her motto is:

“If you suspect you need a new banjo or dulcimer—you do. Trust your musical instincts. If an instrument calls to you to buy it, don’t fight destiny. It was meant to be ☺”

Banjoholic, Mary Z. Cox, third generation Floridian, has played banjo since she was 12, and is a two time Florida banjo champion. Mary Z has been a recording artist since 1999, and records cds, plays concerts & festivals, gives workshops, and authors banjo & dulcimer instruction books. Her music has been played on National Public Radio’s, “Thistle & Shamrock”, “All Songs Considered,” Pandora World Music Genome, & the BBC. Mary Z is recording a new banjo cd with vocals in Gatorbone Studios in Keystone Heights, Florida and she hopes to have it ready to rock & roll early in the new year—but wait—it won’t be rock n roll—but some wonderful traditional tunes , and of course—there will be banjos ☺ Mary’s version of the traditional song, “Sally In the Garden” will be in the soundtrack of an upcoming film in the Hunger Games series. Tunes from “Girl With the Banjo Tattoo”, “A Secret Life Of Banjo”, & “Vintage Banjo” were selected to soundtrack an upcoming Canadian documentary on immigration. Tunes from “Florida Banjo” will be in an upcoming soundtrack on a film about Florida Cowboys. Girl With the Banjo Tattoo, her most recent cd was selected as a “Best Banjo CD of 2011” by the editor of Banjo Newsletter. Mary has 7 cds and 7 instructional books in print and she is grateful and humbled that so many folks from all over the world order and download them and write to say how much they enjoy the music and the instruction. Mary Z has taught clawhammer banjo for over a decade at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina.She has also taught banjo workshops at the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, NC, Florida Folk Festival, Wood N” Strings in Tenn, the Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete, Suwannee Banjo Camp, Sunshine State Music Camp, Will McLean Festival, Florida Old Time Banjo Camp, and in Charlotte, NC, Charleston, SC, Albuquerque, NM, & Pasadena, CA.Mary Z is also a Florida mountain dulcimer champion, as well as a four-time champion (2011, 2009, 2007, & 2006) at the Transylvania (NC) Old Time Music Competition, and first place winner at the 2006 Uncle Dave Macon Days in Tennessee.She has taught mountain dulcimer workshops at the Wood n Strings in Tenn, Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete, Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat, Fall NGFDA Festival at Unicoi, Florida Folk Festival, the Will McLean Festival and in Charlotte, NC & Charleston SC. Her dulcimer articles, tabs, & mp3s have been published in the Dulcimer Player News. “Easy String Band Method For the Mountain Dulcimer” (instructional book/cd) sells to dulcimer students worldwide and is available on Mary’s website: maryzcox.comMary Z enjoys playing solo concerts, demonstrations, and workshops to small and large audiences & has a banjo/bass vocal duet or acoustic trio available for concerts and festivals. Please contact Mary Z if you would like to book us for concerts, festivals, or workshops in 2015—we just might be traveling your way.Mary shares her home with 16 banjos and 8 mountain dulcimers and loves playing them. Her motto is: “If you suspect you need a new banjo or dulcimer—you do. Trust your musical instincts. If an instrument calls to you to buy it, don’t fight destiny. It was meant to be ☺”